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At last, here it is. Our very own report for yesterday's Hasbro Transformers Panel at New York Comic-Con 2012. Lots of new toy reveals, story reveals, and more! Images originate from TFW2005. Without further ado, head through the space bridge to see the report.

Question: "What is it like having a show that each week is more epic than it's ever been before and how will you continue that into new seasons and beyond?"Answer: "Very little sleep." LOL "We have a great writing staff and a great creative staff, and our directors are amazing, we kick around ideas from asking around the room, and with a show like this, as much as we can, we want every episode to stand alone and feel like a completed series where it's overly satisfying. I think we hit a point in season 2 where that just went out the window. The epicness was just, you know, overtaking us, and we just finally said, 'You know what? It is a serialized continuing storyline and it will continue.""One of those things about a CG show is the more episodes you do the better it actually gets. From a visual standpoint, the quality of the animation gets a little bit higher, you can put more stuff into itself, the more episodes you get to do the more stuff you get to do."

Question: "With the Transformers brand having been around for 28 years, for a brand that is that mature and has so much loyalty to its characters, you guys have done a really great job at making great homages to the classic stuff that people love but you've also done a lot of new stuff whether it's through designs, story arcs, changes; do you feel pressure to balance that? and how much of it is "we need to do this" and how much of it is "need to change something there"?Answer: "There's not a moment that goes by where we're not feeling pressure. We know the fanbase is passionate, to say the least, and we're not as protective of G1 as you [the fans] are. But, whenever we do something, we want to do something with more to it. it's great to have all this history to look at and pull reference to, but we also need to come up with our own ideas."

Preview for the next episode, "Inside Job" - Sorry, no clip available, but it airs tonight on the Hub. However, when you watch the episode, you will see that it's the scene in which Starscream monologues to himself (and his dead clone's body that he kept around) and imagines what he would do if he had all the Omega Keys and revived Cybertron himself.

Question: "What is it about Transformers villains that makes them last and why are they so prevalent in your minds?"Answer: "In regards to Prime, it's not just the writing or the designs, it's our amazing voice cast that breathes life into these characters. When it comes to the Decepticons, it's not just about how they are as standalone villains but how they relate to each other as a team."

Question: "But what about these villains makes them so lasting, and how do different iterations line up to each other?"Answer: "One of the things about having a Rogues Gallery is that each has their own point of view, and as they grow from one iteration to another, it's fascinating to see and, with the team, cultivate those unique aspects of the villains and make them more and more villainous as they go along, and Transformers: Prime is a great example of that. I think it has the best refined version of Megatron, the most refined version of Starscream we've ever had, and it's exciting to work on this stuff and see where it's all going, and know that it's going into new places and new discoveries with these characters coming up. There's a whole bunch of stuff I'm not allowed to tell you about, but trust me, it's awesome."

Beast Hunters is going to be the overall theme of the third season as well as the entire brand. As for the story, they have a big new bad guy coming in and they wanted to go with beasts, but they didn't want to do Beast Machines or Beast Wars; they wanted to do something their own Prime way. The way beasts fit into Prime is like this. These beast for Prime are the Predacons, who are basically Cybertron's version of dinosaurs. They were Cybertron's first ancient race who were destroyed in a great cataclysm, but the way they will be brought into the show will be revealed in season 3.

Now for the toys!

We're seeing the first of many Predacons and the Autobots are greatly outmatched so they're gonna need some upgrades: Advanced Defense Armor, Energon Camoflauge, and Upgraded Weaponry.

As an aside, they noted that there have been some liberties taken between show and toy form, in that not everything we see in one will be seen in the other, and same with the Predacons, they made more Predacons for us to enjoy in toy form that we may or may not see in the show.

Predaking w/ Hydrafire Blasters - x2 blasters, x2 firing missiles, blasters can be attached in dragon mode to make a three-headed hydra (again, Robot Mode not shown) - NOTE: This is not the same toy mold we saw pics of previously

A second Voyager toy was confirmed at but not revealed.

New Beast Hunters packaging - the beasts themselves are larger this time and don't fit into the regular-sized packaging so they'll get their own.

Instructions - Now will contain a serialized storyline about each character ad continues through each Deluxe and Voyager figure of every wave.

With the threat of PREDAKING looming over them all, every AUTOBOT dedicates himself to discovering some means of battling the PREDACON overlord. But it is the scout BUMBLEBEE who discovers what may be the key to victory. Buried deep within data recovered alongside one of the Iacon Relics he finds evidence of a direlict transport starship - a courier packed with weapons more ancient than any relic yet recovered - set adrift ages ago among the asteroids girdling Earth's solar system. With no other way to reach the ancient ship, and not wanting to waste time, he contacts WHEELJACK, hoping the AUTOBOT mercenary can provide transport and - if it turns out to be a trap - an extra blaster.

Platinum Edition Optimus Prime - same as the overseas"Year of the Snake" figure, redeco of the Energon figure, power up with battle suit, includes 4 combining vehicles, firing projectile launcher, hauler trailer, Year of the Snake trailer icon

Platinum Edition packaging - current image is a placeholder, the final will match the figure's new deco, gold foil packaging, 5th panel with window, G1 comic-inspired artwork, carrying handle

Partnerships - media that goes beyond the toys and cartoons

IDW - Rage of the Dinobots - prequel to season 3, sequel to Fall of Cybertron, coming this November

IDW is also doing artbooks and will be doing pack-in comics with the Generations figures.

Transformers Legends - digital card game, will be available for mobile devices this Fall (some of hese images were taken mid-transition)

Q&A:

Hasbro currently has no plans for any U.S. release of Masterpiece Soundwave/Sideswipe/Red Alert, but they are looking into it. no announcement yet but we'll see.

They're still moving into the Beta Testing stage with the Transformers Universe MMO from Jagex.

Anymore novels after Exiles? Anymore of he Star Seekers or the Thirteen? Which Prime did Megatron still his arm from? Stay tuned.

They would like to bring over the Gaia Unicron toy, but there aren't any plans as of now.

2014 is the 30th anniversary of the brand. 2014 "Who knows what could happen for 30th Anniversary? We love Beast Wars, we know fans love Beast Wars..." Stay tuned.

Raf's ethnicity is Mexican.

Hasbro doesn't control the retail prices, so it's the retailer who have shot up the prices.

Rumble and Sergeant Kup are the last Deluxe toy wave before the transition to Beast Hunters.

Final question: "Could you just tell Nicole Dubuc and the rest of the crew that I really think Rescue Bots is totally awesome and can I get some applause on that?" *audience applauds at this* Jeff Kline is also given a shout out at the end.

"When there's gold feathers, punch behind you!!"“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”-- C.S. Lewis

I should mention, that we were graciously invited to attend the media preview presentation. Unfortunately, none of our regular site admins were in the area or able to make it this year. (But that still didn't stop us from gettin' the goods!)

For future reference, are there any among the Unicron.com faithful who live in or near New York City, that would interested in attending these *invitation-only* events? You get to see sneak peaks first-hand and get to share your thoughts with other fans of this site. If you would be willing to attend and compile such a report, on our site's behalf, please shoot me an e-mail!

Perceptor's thirst for knowledge is unquenchable. He will seek it to the exclusion of all else.<br>

Alright, I lied! Two things I'd like to add to this top notch report on NYCC 2012:...

Thanks to Hasbro PR for passing along their press release (filled w/ interesting info) and official images from the new 2013 toys unveiled at New York City ComicCon this week. Although we were unable to attend, we shan't miss a beat in passing along all the goodies On through the ground-bridge for all the pics and info!

HASBRO REVEALS TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

The Hunt Begins in 2013 as OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTOBOTS Face an Unprecedented New Foe in the TRANSFORMERS PRIME Animated Series and Beyond

NEW YORK, NY – October 11, 2012 – In a packed room filled with TRANSFORMERS fans, Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) officially unveiled details about TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS during a special panel at New York Comic Con on Thursday. BEAST HUNTERS will be the touchstone for TRANSFORMERS brand entertainment in 2013 driven by the award winning TRANSFORMERS PRIME animated series which is produced by Hasbro Studios, airs on The HUB television network in the U.S. and is seen by kids and fans in over 170 countries around the world.

The beasts, comprised of a new TRANSFORMERS faction called the PREDACONS, are led by one of the most imposing and powerful characters in the TRANSFORMERS world – PREDAKING. At New York Comic Con, in addition to giving fans a sneak peek at PREDAKING in the animated series, Hasbro discussed how BEAST HUNTERS will be the driving force behind its product line including toys as well as an extensive licensing program.

“In recent years, TRANSFORMERS fans have seen the AUTOBOTS battle the DECEPTICONS,” said Aaron Archer, Vice President of TRANSFORMERS Brand Creative and Design. “The PREDACON faction, made up of menacing beasts that convert in ways mankind has never seen, have now joined the DECEPTICONS to take down the AUTOBOTS. We’re looking forward to exploring this new dynamic in the animation, action figures, KRE-O building sets, publishing and more.”

As a special early look for fans, Hasbro also unveiled select new toys from the BEAST HUNTERS line that will launch in the spring of 2013 including new KRE-O TRANSFORMERS building sets and TRANSFORMERS PRIME action figures. Both toy lines will be driven by the BEAST HUNTERS theme bringing the AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS – and now the PREDACONS – to life in toy form and will be reflective of the compelling and visually stunning aesthetic of the TRANSFORMERS PRIME animated series.

“BEAST HUNTERS is an exciting new direction for TRANSFORMERS brand entertainment and the introduction of the PREDACON faction is a pivotal moment for OPTIMUS PRIME and the heroic AUTOBOTS, impacting the world of TRANSFORMERS which will never be the same,” said Jay Duke, Global TRANSFORMERS Brand Vice President at Hasbro. “Kids and fans will be amazed by how Hasbro will bring this story and the ‘beasts’ to life across the brand’s major entertainment platforms in 2013.”

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO dreadfully sorry I couldn't get this up sooner. I had the WORST day ever today with my computer being a complete and total pain in the butt not wanting to cooperate by constantly freezing up on me, lagging like there's no tomorrow, and being as SLOW AS DIRT for the entire duration of my typing this. It took me eight hours, EIGHT HOURS, to get through just ONE HOUR's worth of info!

And I couldn't go to any other computer since THIS piece of crud was my only option.

Thankfully, it's finally up and posted, and we can all revel in the awesome that is Beast Hunters.

"When there's gold feathers, punch behind you!!"“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”-- C.S. Lewis

Alright, to be honest, the Predaking clip we've seen so far does not have me all that fired up.

The origin of the original Predacons predates Autobot/Decepticon in Cybertron's distant evolutionary history? Very interesting. I hope they take time to flush out this concept.

But this line, "IDW - Rage of the Dinobots - prequel to season 3, sequel to Fall of Cybertron, coming this November"...Wait, Rage of the Dinobots from IDW is a PREQUEL to TFP season 3??????? Oh, hell YES! As soon as I think Dinobots in TFP, I am doing cartwheels of glee. Please, please, please! I want ALL FIVE and I want them in the shows. BRING THEM ON!!!!!!!

Perceptor's thirst for knowledge is unquenchable. He will seek it to the exclusion of all else.<br>

perceptor wrote:But this line, "IDW - Rage of the Dinobots - prequel to season 3, sequel to Fall of Cybertron, coming this November"...Wait, Rage of the Dinobots from IDW is a PREQUEL to TFP season 3??????? Oh, hell YES! As soon as I think Dinobots in TFP, I am doing cartwheels of glee. Please, please, please! I want ALL FIVE and I want them in the shows. BRING THEM ON!!!!!!!

Wait a minute. You didn't see any of the news posts made here about Rage of the Dinobots since it was first announced back at SDCC this year?

"When there's gold feathers, punch behind you!!"“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”-- C.S. Lewis

First and foremost, Pardon my cynism but it so hard for me to be excited about the next and future waves of TF toyline per it has been serious drought on supplies in the Bay Area. While the rest of you may have been seeing tons of waves.. the stores in my side of the country has hardly any.. and there still several TRU's trying to flush out loads of TF3 toys. Ai Ya..

Second... these are some ugly toys... well beside the Ravage looking model, Predaking, dragons and retooled O Supreme.. the rest are just blip.. blip.. blip...

Voyager Predaking is probably my must have from this set, might get the airachnid as well, STILL haven't found deluxe knockout or airachnid in stores, did manage to find a dead end, and bought it, I like him, but I really want airachnid and knockout!!!

@Sabrblade: Hope you don't have a computer virus slowing you down!

The coward desires revenge but being afraid to die, he looks to others, maybe to the government of the day, to do the work of defense for him.